Blackbirdman I suspect the issue is that the 1 way valve between the group and pressure sensor is no longer closing properly, this causes a pressure bounce back that can cause exactly the symptoms you describe and then the machine thinks it’s moved to the lever release brew state when it hasn’t.
Then a drop in pressure to the release point happens, which immediately opens the solenoid and vent the group….
The newer software depending on how old yours is allows you to set the pressure point at which the machine thinks it’s moved from preinfusion to brew…I set mine to 9 bar. This means it won’t think it’s brewing unless it sees 9 bar+, I might even have it slightly higher.
The hard water has caused this 1 way valve problem and you could try running descaler through the brew boiler line and group.. Then leave it to sit for a while…it “may” resolve the valve problem without disassembly of the valve, accessed from underneath the machine,
